The present invention relates to devices used for adjusting the inclination of an object with respect to a given support means, and particularly it relates to a device to adjust the inclination on a micrometer scale.
The problem of adjusting and controlling the inclination of an object with respect to a given support means has been encountered in many fields of the art; however, for applications in the field of multimedia recording and reproduction systems, said problem is particularly significant because, in this field, it is often required to combine very accurate precision specifications with support solidity and strength specifications. Because of these specifications, the production costs for this type of devices are generally quite high, making very difficult to use them on a wide scale.
Particularly, achieving an acceptable adjustment in terms of accuracy and stability is complicated when it is required to adjust the inclination with respect to different planes. Adjustment systems based on spherical joints have the advantage of providing a range of wide adjustments, but they give neither a great accuracy nor a particular stability, because clamping a spherical joint is considerably difficult to be performed and poorly steady. Particularly, it is almost impossible to dispose objects having a considerable weight on this type of devices in the practice; furthermore, a good adjustable spherical joint still has very high production costs.
On the other hand, however, using gear systems such as conical pairs or toothed wheels and endless screws has manufacturing complications without enabling a high degree of accuracy of adjustment.